Although the present invention and the problem on which it is based can be applied in particular to any aircraft or spacecraft, they will be described in detail with regard to an aircraft.
FIG. 1 schematically shows a detail of an aircraft 1 which is generally known. The aircraft 1 has a generator 2 which is accommodated in an engine pod 3. The generator 2 is driven by the turbine (not shown) of the engine (not shown) which is arranged in the engine pod 3 to generate electric current. In order to supply consumers (not shown) in the fuselage 4 of the aircraft 1 with electric current, the current has to be conducted from the engine pod 3 through a wing 5 into the fuselage 4.
Due to the fact that, nowadays, the various aircraft components are produced in different locations and are subsequently assembled on one another, predefined connection areas are provided between the various components. Thus, for example in the present case, such a connection area 6 is provided between the engine pod 3 and the wing 5 and a further such connection area 7 is provided between the wing 5 and the fuselage 4.
This presents the problem that the generator 2 cannot be connected to the consumers inside the fuselage 4 of the aircraft 1 by means of a single continuous line. It is, however, necessary to provide a plurality of lines which are provided such that they can be interconnected in the region of connection points 6 and 7.
For example, the generator 2 has a line 11 which consists of three phases A, B and C as well as a neutral phase N and connects the generator 2 to the distributor 12.
The distributor 12 has a substantially planar plate 13 on which a plurality of bolts 14 are arranged. The bolts 14 extend substantially parallel to one another. Each of the phases A, B, C and N is pushed onto an associated bolt 14 by a cable lug.
Running in the wing 5 are two lines 15 and 16, a broken-away cross section thereof being shown schematically. Line 15 consists of three phases A1, B1 and C1 and line 16 consists of three phases A2, B2 and C2. A neutral phase N is also provided which is associated equally with the two lines 15 and 16. For electromagnetic reasons, in particular to prevent line losses, the phases A1, B1, C1, A2, B2, C2 (hereafter denoted as A1 to C2) seen in cross section are arranged on an imaginary circular line 17 at approximately uniform distances from one another, specifically such that the phases A1 and A2, B1 and B2 and C1 and C2 are always diagonally opposite one another. The phases are held in their respective position by so-called “bobbins” 21. The use of two lines 15 and 16 instead of only one line is advantageous in that consequently, the respective phases can be configured with a relatively small diameter.
Each of the phases A1 to C2 also has a cable lug by which they can each be pushed onto one of the bolts 14. A cable lug of one of the phases A, B, C and N of line 11 is always braced against a cable lug of one of the phases A1 to C2 and N of lines 15 and 16 by means of a nut (not shown) so that a conductive contact—a corresponding contacting point is denoted by reference numeral 28 in FIG. 1—is produced between the two cable lugs. The connection of a plurality of cable lugs by means of a bolt is known, for example from document W 2009/131831.
Thus, for example, phase A of line 11 is electrically connected to phase A1 of line 15. The corresponding contacting points 28 which electrically interconnect phases A, B, C and N of line 11 with phases A1 to C2 and N of lines 15 and 16 are positioned next to one another inside a plane.
Based on the conception of the generator 2 and the line 11, it is necessary in the present case to electrically connect phase A to both phase A1 and phase A2, phase B to phases B1 and B2 and phase C to phases C1 and C2. For this purpose, three cable lugs can accordingly also be provided on one bolt 14. In this respect, however, other configurations are also very common. For example, line 11 can also have seven phases A1, B1, C1, A2, B2, C2 and N which connect the generator 2 to the distributor 12. A corresponding configuration is provided at the connection area 7, where the distributor 12 connects the seven phases of lines 15 and 16 to seven phases of lines 20, 22.
The solution described above is disadvantageous in that phases A1 to C2 have to be transferred from their substantially annular arrangement, preset by the bobbins 21, into a substantially planar arrangement, preset by the distributor 12 with the corresponding bolts 14 in a transition region 23 associated with the connection areas 6 and 7. To complicate matters, phases A1 to C2 must not have any contact with one another and the correct phases must always be connected together, i.e. phase A to phase A1 etc. This results in a generally difficult and time-consuming assembly when electrically connecting line 11 to lines 15 and 16 as well as lines 15 and 16 to the corresponding lines 20, 22 in the fuselage 4 of the aircraft 1.